Editor’s note: Throughout the Oscar season, IndieWire will update this page with in-depth Oscar predictions from Awards Editor Marcus Jones and Crafts & Animation Editor Bill Desowitz. A link to each category will lead to lists of the ever-changing contenders, plus reporting on what films have captivated voters, rules changes made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, interviews with potential nominees, and much more.
The State of the Race
The 97th annual Academy Awards are fast approaching, meaning it is already time to try and determine what film can fill the shoes of Best Picture winner and box office phenomenon “Oppenheimer.”
Already the year has been characterized by an unpredictable box office turnout that has seen films meant to be massive blockbusters come and go. Festivals like Sundance and Cannes have given the film community some hope, with titles like “A Real Pain,” “Anora,” and “Emilia Pérez” pleasing crowds and collecting awards.
Sequels like “Dune: Part Two” and “Inside Out 2” have built upon the success of their Oscar-winning predecessors, giving hope to similar ambitious Best Picture bids like “Joker: Folie à Deux” and “Gladiator II.”
Though there have been arthouse successes like Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” and Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” the fall is expected to bring the lion’s share of auteur-driven Oscar contenders like “Conclave,” Edward Berger’s first project after the success of Best International Feature Film winner “All Quiet on the Western Front,” a papal election thriller, and “Blitz,” the long-awaited new film from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen, about a group of Londoners trying to survive through the bombings in WWII.
But ultimately, it does feel like a year where some films that will be nominated are not even on voters’ radars yet, especially with how it was hard to keep up with what continued shooting through the SAG and WGA strikes (with waivers, of course,) and what films have found distribution in time to receive Oscar campaigns.
To keep up with all of that and more, follow along on IndieWire as the 2025 Oscars draw closer. We will share up-to-date insights on the films, filmmakers, and stars expected to be in the running to win the most prestigious award in American film.
See the individual prediction pages listed below, which will be refreshed throughout the race, and follow IndieWire on X, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest Oscars news.
2025 Academy Awards Predictions
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Animated Feature
Best Production Design
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Sound
Best Visual Effects
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Documentary Feature
Best International Feature
Best Animated Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Live-Action Short
The nomination round of voting will take place from January 8 to January 12, 2025, with the official Oscar nominations to be announced on January 17, 2025. The final voting is between February 11 and 18, 2025. Finally, the 97th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2 and air live on ABC at 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT.
Make sure to bookmark this landing page, and to keep checking IndieWire to stay on top of the latest news from the 2025 Oscar race.
